Kale gratin, from the Boat Street Cafe

This recipe came from a class I took with friends at the Boat Street Cafe. It was so good, I made it at home the next day and so did at least one other member of the class. In comparing notes, we figured out you should not substitute half and half for the cream and we think it’s a good idea to get the kale as dry as possible before making this recipe. Otherwise, it was just about as good at home as it was at the restaurant, a definite sign of a great recipe. It’s pictured here with Italian sausage pasta.

-Wash the kale and dry as much as possible. Cut out the main rib of each leaf and then tear or cut into smallish pieces.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Combine the cream, eggs, mustard, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
-Pile the kale into a 9×13 baking dish or casserole, it should really be mounded up high in the pan as it will shrink as it cooks. I would say ours was about 3-4 inches above the edge of the dish.
-Sprinkle another pinch or two of salt and pepper over the kale. Pour the cream mixture carefully over the kale. Place the cheese slices over the kale, tucking the ends over the kale at the edges so it won’t slide out of the pan when it melts in the oven.
-Bake about 40 minutes or until slightly crispy on top. Serve.

About the Author and Photographer

The author and cook is Margretta Murnane. She recently moved to Bainbridge Island, WA. She has been cooking for her friends and family for many years and loves to share her passion for local, organic and seasonal food with others. Her husband Sal Celis used his artistic talents to create many of the photos you'll see on this blog, but the more recent photos are Margretta's novice attempts. She's more interested in eating hot food than getting perfect photos.

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